Seminar: Ulighed og bistand

Time: Tuesday, 5 April at 13 -16 hours

Venue: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, ground floor, Strandgade 71, Christianshavn, 1401 Kbn K

Background

Time: Tuesday, 5 April at 13 -16 hours

Venue: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, ground floor, Strandgade 71, Christianshavn, 1401 Kbn K

Background

The Human Development Report (HDR) 2010 notes that despite much progress, inequality both within and across countries is growing. On average per capita income in rich countries grows consistently more than in poor countries creating a widening gap between countries. HDR 2010 provides the following example:

“A person born in Niger can expect to live 26 fewer years, to have 9 fewer years of education and to consume 53 times fewer goods than a person born in Denmark. While the Danes have elected their parliament in free and open elections since 1849, Niger’s president dissolved parliament and Supreme Court in 2009 – and was then ousted in a military coup. More than 7 of 10 people surveyed in Niger say there were times in the past year when they did not have enough money to buy food for their families. Very few Danes would be in such straits.”

Also within countries, inequality is so significant that it severely affects human development. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers particularly from inequalities with respect to income, health and education.

If the Human Development Index (HDI) is adjusted for these inequalities, human development decreases even further in many Sub-Saharan countries. For instance in Mozambique, the decrease amounts to 45 per cent after an adjustment of HDI for inequality.

Inequality is in itself a problem as it is an expression of poverty and lack of human development. However, it also constitutes a barrier to development in the sense that it reduces the impact of economic growth on poverty. The more unequal a society, the less economic growth reduces poverty.

Internationally and in Denmark, development aid is increasingly supposed to stimulate pro-poor economic growth. There is a sense that aid has focused too much on health and education and too little on productive sectors and growth.

The specific content of pro-poor economic growth, however, is not clear. Given the increasing significance of inequality and its detrimental impact on poverty reduction, redistribution may be a significant element of pro-poor economic growth. This raises the question whether aid should start focussing on the reduction of inequality.

The series “Kapuscinski Lectures”, named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries, is organized jointly by the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partner universities and development think-tanks. The series consists of distinguished speakers delivering lectures in countries in the European Union on development-related issues.

SPEAKERS
* Francois Bourguignon, Professor and Director of the Paris School of Economics
* Giorgia Giovannelli, Professor of Economics, University of Florence
* Henrik Hansen, Professor of International Economics and Policy, University of Copenhagen
* Poul Engberg-Pedersen, former Director General, Norad
* Kamel Qureshi, Member of the Folketing, Socialist People’s Party
* Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Senior Researcher, DIIS
* Jakob Simonsen, Director, Nordic Office, UNDP

PROGRAMME
13.00-13.10
Introduction – Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Senior Researcher, DIIS

13.10-14.10
Inequality, Development and Development Aid – Francois Bourguignon, Professor and Director, Paris School of Economics

14.10-14.30
Coffee Break

14.30-15.50
Panel Debate – Giorgia Giovannelli (University of Florence), Henrik Hansen (University of Copenhagen), Poul Engberg-Pedersen (former Director General, Norad) and Kamal Qureshi (Member of the Folketing, Socialist People’s Party)

15.50-16.00
Closing Remarks – Jakob Simonsen, Director, Nordic Office, UNDP

Chair: Lars Engberg-Pedersen, Senior Researcher, DIIS

The seminar will be held in English.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use the online registration form.

And do so no later than Monday April 4 at 12.00 noon

Please await confirmation by e-mail from DIIS for participation.

Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), The Conference Section, Strandgade 56, 1401 Kbn K, tlf. 32 69 87 51, e-mail: [email protected] og web: www.diis.dk